Date - 29 /08/08 Day - Friday Start - 0930 End - 1800 Chirk Bank Harnser's present position http://tinyurl.com/Harnser-s-route The lane we moored against was very busy and we were awake quite early, but no point in moving until 9 30 as it was only a couple of hours to the locks. Last night we ate in the Queens Head. Diana had Honey baked Hock and there was so much she asked for a doggy bag. Today we had most of the remains with salad for our lunch. We had only left the moorings by about 150 yards when I spotted a canoe spray cover laying on the offside bank, it must ave come from the chap who capsised last night, we backed up and picked it up, leaving it with Colin the lock keeper to return to the canoe club. About half way between Queens Head and Graham Palmer Lock there is an arm and basin on the left with a dilapidate swing bridge across the mouth and an old work boat moored just in the arm. Last time we visited we moored here, but its totally over grown with scrub now. BW do have a nice sign instructing you how to use the swing bridge, its in fare better condition than the bridge which I doubt you could even open today. As I said yesterday, the restored bit could do with some TLC. The locks were quite busy and we had quite a wait before we could even get into the bottom lock of the flight. We had to wait for a pair coming down, this turned out to be Dr. Ian Thompson with Temeraire and Tenacious. The unusual thing about this pair is that the butty is fitted with a single cylinder RN connected to a hydraulic drive so she is self powered through flights of locks. Once clear of the Mont we stopped for lunch where I was able to get a signal and send yesterdays log and other emails. During the afternoon we passed a BW workboat, this was on loan to the Shropshire Union Canal Society who are installing another two sets of 48hr moorings. The traffic was quit busy again and at the first lock we had 4 boats behind us and a couple coming down. We moored for the night at Chirk Bank at 6pm and wandered down to the The Bridge pub to eat, last time we were here was January 2000 following the Millennium celebrations.
-- Brian <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Join SOW and help save our waterways http://www.saveourwaterways.org
